能源与CO2， 会是下一个技术革新和经济刺激点吗？

从发现，开采化石燃料以来， 工业与经济的发展速度与环境污染的速度应该是成正比的。

U.S. consumed > 80% of proven its oil reserves;> and will import > 80% of its oil within 20 years; Total proven oil reserves worldwide ~ equivalent of ca. 40 years of consumable oil.

 另一方面，化石燃料的大量应用导致了CO2的过量排放，产生了现在大家都很关注的‘温室效应’。

于是乎，生物燃料，可再生能源就emerge了，Biofuel, renewable energy, which focus on regenerable resources, could be sustainable in a lone term.

The 1st generation biofuels, mainly biodiesel from soybean and ethanol from corn, are already in market. Although competing with food supply and deemed non-environmental-friendly (meaning the energy input surpass the energy output and carbon negative from some life cycle analysis), they are good attempts at least from renewable energy standpoint. 

The 2nd generation biofuels, e.g. algae biofuel and microbial fuel cells (MFCs), are emerging now.

I don't know too much about  MFCs, from some one who has the electrochemistry backgound, it has tiny possibilities to be successful in real application.

Microalgae, in which I have some valuable experience till now, not bragging, I want to say, is very promising from three perspectives.  First, it is less, less energy intensive as a wastewater treatment means compared with activated sludge process; Second, as a biofuel feedstock, it contains satisfactory lipid conent with much faster growth rate than soybean and corn; Third, it CAN eat CO2!!! Although not economically feasible compared with petroleum at current technical settings, with the credit of wastewater treatment and carbon sequestration, it will, will come true one day!

It always wanders in my mind that, if, in early 20th century, scientists didn't come into the ability of bubling for wastewater treatment, then develop activated sludge process, but mimic the process of water purifyiny process in natural waters (algae bloom), algae would have been applied to wastewater treatment long long ago, which is more, more environmental friendly.

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